{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O121758"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O121758/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EK7334/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EK7334/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EK7334","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Akama Project","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AX6464","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AW2508","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O121758/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O121758","accessionNumber":"E.8612-1886","objectType":"Woodblock print","titles":[{"title":"\tUmegae and Genta in the Bell of Hell Scene from Jо̄ruri Drama Hiragana Seisuiki, New Edition, Part I","type":"assigned by artist"},{"title":"Jо̄ruri Textbook and Beauties","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"Object Type\r\nWoodblock prints such as this were produced in large numbers in 18th- and 19th-century Japan. This print was published in the 1830s, by which time the techniques of full-colour printing had been perfected. Prints such as this are sometimes called <i>ukiyo-e</i>, which means 'pictures of the floating world'. This world was one of transient delights and changing fashions centred on the licensed pleasure districts and popular theatres found in the major cities of Japan.\r\n\r\nSubject Depicted\r\n<i>Joruri</i> is a type of dramatic narrative chanting commonly associated with the <i>bunraku</i> puppet theatre. It flourished during the Edo period (1615-1868). Here, a beautiful woman is depicted against the backdrop of a<i> joruri </i>text. Pictures of beautiful women served as guides to and souvenirs of the faces and changing hair- and dress-styles of the women who worked in the pleasure quarters of Edo (present-day Tokyo).\r\n\r\nMaterials and Making\r\nThe production of Japanese woodblock prints was a group activity orchestrated by a specialist publisher, in this case Iseya Rihei. He commissioned the artist, Utagawa Kunisada, to produce a sketch. A detailed drawing based on this sketch was given to a block cutter, who created one block for the black outline of the image and further blocks for each of the colours to be used. These were passed to a printer. Pigments applied to the blocks were printed on to sheets of paper by rubbing from behind with a flat round disc known as a <i>baren</i>.","physicalDescription":"Woodblock print, in ink and colour","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Utagawa Kunisada","id":"A8034"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Iseya Rihei","id":"A3276"},"association":{"text":"publisher","id":"x32600"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"block printing","id":"AAT53289"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Colour woodblock printing on paper","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"British Galleries","id":"THES48985"}],"styles":[{"text":"Edo period","id":"AAT106643"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2010EK7334","2006AX6464","2006AW2508"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES393798"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Woodblock print","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Japan","id":"x29399"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Edo","id":"x32430"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1830-35","earliest":"1825-01-01","latest":"1835-12-31"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"39.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"26.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"<i>Ōban </i>format","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Kо̄chо̄rо̄ Kunisada ga","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Drawn by Kо̄chо̄rо̄ Kunisada","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signature"},{"content":"Seisuiki, Umegae, Genta, Mugen kane no dan, jō, shinpan","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Umegae and Genta in the Bell of Hell Scene from Jо̄ruri Drama Hiragana  Seisuiki, New Edition, Part I","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Picture title"}],"objectHistory":"Purchased from S. M. Franck & Co., accessioned in 1886. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Woodblock print <i>Umegae and Genta in the Bell of Hell Scene from Jо̄ruri Drama Hiragana Seisuiki, New Edition, Part I,</i> from an untitled series of<i> jо̄ruri </i>textbooks and beauties by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), Japan, early 1830's\r\n\r\n","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"women","id":"AAT25943"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"<i>Beni</i> is a fugitive dye that fades quickly and often represents passionate but fleeting love. In this print, the courtesan Umegae is suitably dressed in a scarlet kimono. She was embroiled in a tempestuous affair with her lover, Genta, which was plagued by money troubles and death threats. Umegae became a courtesan to support Genta, and is shown here contemplating striking a magic bell that offers wealth in exchange for eternity in hell.\r\n","date":{"text":"31/5/2022","earliest":"2022-05-31","latest":"2022-05-31"}}],"partNumbers":["E.8612-1886"],"accessionNumberNum":"8612","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1886,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN5904","2019LR5449","2019LT2774","2019LW2261"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-17","recordCreationDate":"2006-03-07","availableToBook":false}}